Eric
|gender = Male |age = Unknown |status = Deceased (in VLR timeline) Alive (in ZTD's true ending) |hair = Brown |eye = Gray |relative = Unnamed father (deceased) Unnamed mother (deceased) Chris (younger brother, deceased) Mira (girlfriend/wife) |occupation = Ice cream shop clerk |voice = Akira Ishida (Japanese) Keith Silverstein (English) |appearances = Zero Time Dilemma}} Eric is a Decision Game player in Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma. Eric, along with Sean, Mira, and Delta, is a member of Team Q in the Decision Game. He works as a clerk at an ice cream shop. He is Mira's boyfriend, and after the events of the game, her husband. He is initially unaware that his girlfriend is a mass murdering serial killer who enjoys ripping hearts out of corpses, something he discovers during the Decision Game. Appearance Eric has gray eyes and shaggy brown hair covering most of his ears, except for the lobes. His bangs go down to his rectangular eyebrows. He has a sharp, larger-than-average nose. Eric doesn't care about fashion, so he wears simple clothing. He wears a slate gray dress shirt with brown corduroy collar and cuffs and a breast pocket on the left side. The dress shirt has indigo buttons. His pants are formal wear and are the same shade of brown as his shirt's accents. He also wears black-and-brown shoes. He has a black bracelet on his left wrist like the other participants. Personality Eric comes off as mostly bumbling, incompetent, pitiful and hapless, especially when Sean's intelligence exceeds his own, much to his own frustration and embarrassment. He is often seen with a wide smile plastered on his face. Smiling, regardless of the situation, was a trait that his mother told him would bring happiness to himself and others. It eventually became a habit of his own, functioning as a "mask" to cover up his abusive and traumatic childhood, as well as for many situations throughout his life. He is in a relationship with Mira, who he calls his "angel" and his "beautiful goddess". He is extremely protective of her and constantly tries to impress her during their time in the Decision Game, though most of his attempts are ignored or garner a laugh from Mira. He is so attached to Mira that he is willing to kill himself to be with her in death. His seemingly unhealthy obsession with Mira raises the possibility that Eric suffers from poor self-worth, low self-esteem, or some attachment disorder. Eric claims he is "just a lowly ice cream shop employee". Ironically, Mira perceives him as useless, pathetic, talentless, and worthless. However, her opinion of him seems to change after the course of the Decision Game, since she is willing to become his wife. Eric is a very anxious, nervous and easily frightened man who is unable to cope with stress. He cracks easily under pressure and the possibility of suffering or death, such as when he attempts to shower D-Team and C-Team is acid to guarantee his own survival. This can make him a danger to others, prone to rage and losing his composure, especially around Sean, whom he uses a lot of profanity around, showing Eric's inability to be a proper adult. At one point, he may murder Sean after Sean drops his weapon, after which he proceeds to remark "Heh! What an idiot!" There are many moments in the Decision Game where Eric is trigger happy with a shotgun, quick to kill anyone. In one timeline, he murders Carlos, Diana, and Sigma, as well as shooting Sean, before turning the gun on himself. In the Decision Game, Eric is shown to be emotionally unstable, quickly panicking or turning violent when he feels betrayed; it is unknown if he reacts similarly outside of it. Eric may also suffer from mood swings; at one point, he is seen having a friendly conversation with Sean which then turns to extreme anger and hostility. As a victim of abuse, Eric seems to have mental health issues. He's never told anyone about Chris' death (besides Mira and Sean), implying that he has never seen a psychiatrist, mental health professional, or someone that he can confide in, and that he has been carrying this trauma for years. It is possible Eric's violent behavior is due to him modeling his father's abusive behavior, which isn't uncommon for children growing up with emotionally abusive parents. Eric's mental health may be a commentary on mental health issues when it comes to men, and how many men often find it harder to open up about it, which is why suicide rates are higher among men. Background Eric was raised by his mother and father, and alongside his younger brother, Chris. He notes that his childhood, at first, was nothing special, though his mother told Eric and his brother that a smile can bring happiness to others and themselves, so they should always smile. Eric and his brother took this to heart. Unfortunately, his mother was died of an unknown cause (it is heavily implied she was murdered by Mira as can be seen in the last words quoted on Q-END: 1 where both of them had the same last words). After his mother's death, Eric's family quickly began to crumble. His father, once described as clumsy, but happy, became an alcoholic and began physically and emotionally abusing his sons. Eric in particular received the brunt of his father's drunken rage since he was to take care of Chris. Eric's smiling habit became a mask for the abuse, believing that if he smiled, one day his happiness would return. Soon after, tragedy struck the family once more when Eric's father's abuse eventually lead to the death of Chris. It is heavily implied Eric's father drowned Chris in a bathtub as "punishment" for misbehaving, while Eric witnessed it. Eric was then forced to discard Chris' body in a lake. This event left a lasting traumatic scar on his psyche, causing him to recall that day during times of great stress. At some point in time, Eric's father "fell ill" and died. In his adult life, Eric eventually began working at a local ice cream parlor somewhere in Nebraska. He enjoyed his job, but was not particularly happy with it. However, one day, he was greeted by a "vivacious woman" unlike any woman he had ever seen before. This woman, Mira, left a lasting impression on him, causing him to seek her out and start a relationship with. Eric devotes himself and his feelings to his "angel" Mira. Sometime in 2028, Mira decided to join the Mars Mission Test Site (Dcom) experiment in Nevada, claiming that she did so because it looked interesting and fun. In actuality, she was to be Zero's accomplice. Eric joined the experiment because Mira wanted to. ''Zero Time Dilemma'' In the Decision Game created by Zero II, Eric is a member of Team Q with Delta/Q, Sean and Mira. Eric is trapped in Ward Q in the Underground Shelter. Branching timelines In the various branching timelines, Eric may kill everyone. He has a tendency to turn hostile with a shotgun. In another, he may be killed in the Study by Sean. Mira then proceeds to gore his body open to remove his heart. CQD-END: 2 In the aftermath of the game, Mira eventually turned herself into the police for her crimes as the "Heart Ripper". However, even while Mira was behind bars, Eric eventually followed through with his intention to marry Mira believing that despite her dark past, she could overcome it and become a better person. During one of his visits to her prison facility, he brought along Sean who eventually opened a hole out of her cell to allow Mira the chance to fix her past crimes using the transporter device. Before Eric could fully process what had happened, Mira and Sean were already heading off to the horizon. Quotes * "CARLOS, YOU ASSHOLE! You got it wrong!" (Carlos incorrectly guesses the coin flip) * "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT STUPID THING ON YOUR HEAD?!" (about Sean's helmet) * "SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU FUCKING BRAT!" (to Sean) * "Wh-What? Watch where you're staring!" (concerned Sean is staring at Mira's breasts) * "I always mustered up my best smile for customers, even the boring regulars I was getting tired of seeing. I still offered the most delicious ice cream to them. I really, truly love ice cream." * "That's just it. family was completely normal. A kind mom, a clumsy dad, and an annoying little brother..." * "Mom always told us to 'never forget to smile'. She'd never hurt a bug... Not even if a line of ants crossed her path... She was that kind and gentle. She was incredible, and when we lost her, that's when Dad changed." * "'Don't cry. Don't get mad. You better always smile' was what Dad liked to say. But unlike Mom, he was never not angry with us... Eventually I figured out how to smile regardless of what was going on. Just smiling day in and day out. No fun. Not happy. I'd be made fun of...or yelled at... And no matter the pain, no matter how bad it was, I never raised my voice. I just kept smiling. I didn't stop even after Dad fell ill and died..." * "So I guess the two smiles - one taught by my mom and one forced by my dad - got kind of mixed up, and the result is what I pasted on my face." * "The worst part of me still came to the front after we got trapped here." * "It's not MY FAULT!" * "Mira... where is she!?" * "Mira... Mira is my angel!" * "Damn brat! Stop bullshitting me!" (to Sean) * "You killed Mira! You killed her! YOU KILLED HER!" (to Sean) * "Then tell me who did it... Tell me the killer's name! 20 seconds... That's all I'm giving you. You better tell me the truth. I don't like liars. Now, tell me. Who killed Mira...? 19... 18... 17..." * "You're not making any fucking sense!" (if you say something random when saying who killed Mira in the Pod Room) * "Zero did? Yeah, I guess he did overall... But you did it personally!" (if you claim that Zero killed Mira in the Pod Room) * "Me? I... killed Mira...?" (if you claim that Mira was killed by Eric) * "The dog... killed... Mira?" (if you claim that Mira was killed by Gab) * "FUCK!" (if Sean doesn't answer who killed Mira) * "Everything just seemed so bright after I met her. I couldn't help but think every day was great. I was going to propose. I scraped together all my money and bought an engagement ring. And then... Then... Why... Why did this have to happen...?" (Eric weeping) * "You bastard... You're fucking with me, aren't you!" * "Stop running your goddamn mouth!" (before killing Sean) * "What the hell... Are you screwing with me? That's not funny!" (claiming Gab is Zero) * "Me...? So you're saying I'm Zero...? You fucking brat!" (claiming Eric is Zero) * "What...? How dare you- You dare insult my angel? My Mira...? Shut the hell up!" (claiming Mira is Zero) * "Ah, I knew it was you... DIE!" (claiming Sean is Zero) * "Ah, screw it, I'll just kill all of you!" (killing everyone with a shotgun) * "I'm coming to you, Mira." (suiciding with a shotgun to his head) * "Calm down...? CALM DOWN...? My girlfriend's been MURDERED! HOW the HELL am I going to CALM DOWN?!" * "Cut it out! I'm so SICK of this SHIT!" * "As long as you can face life with a smile, happiness will come to you." * "Smiles... looks better on...you." (Eric's last words to Mira in Q-END 1) * "A, because I think you're adorable. B, because you are so beautiful! C, because you're very cute! D, because you're my darling! E, because you make me excited...! F, because you're like a feather in my arms..." (to Mira for each key part found in the Study) * "Let's go, Mira! Let's get out of here and build a happy home and wonderful future together!" Trivia * Eric's favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.https://www.facebook.com/operationbluebirdze3/posts/1024948114210916 * Eric likes button down shirts.https://twitter.com/Aksys_June/status/720294167826472961 * One of Eric's hobbies is cosplaying.http://m.imgur.com/0nDhqD9?r * It can be theorized that Mira killed Eric's mother. Mira's first victim, as a child, was around a mother's age and this victim said that Mira looked better when she smiled. Eric's mother also mentioned the importance of smiling. This resulted in them sharing the same last words. Finally, the knowledge that both of them had of the whereabouts of the body when said by Zero, Mira, and Eric. **If this is true, Eric married his mother's killer. *In the route where Eric dies saving Mira, Eric dies with a smile plastered on his face, even in death. *Eric's status screen icon, depicting him as a baby with a pacifier, may be a reference to some of his behavior which may be perceived as "childish". As previously mentioned, Eric is psychologically and emotionally stunted due to his traumatic abusive childhood. * Eric dies in every major ending except the CQD endings. *Eric's X-Passes are Lake, Fool, Poor, Ice and Love. ** Lake - What he was forced to dump Chris in. ** Fool - Eric is rather oblivious and blindly forgiving to Mira throughout the game, and he is also rather impulsive. ** Poor - Eric is the subject of much misery in both the backstory and events of the game. ** Ice - He worked at an ice cream shop. ** Love - What he considers himself to have with Mira, even though Mira cannot reciprocate the same feelings back to him (excluding the true ending where they become engaged, as the X-Passes were made before then). Gallery EricThumbnailTrans.png|Portrait. EricBooklet.png|Profile. EricCover.png|Eric having a stressful mental breakdown. Ztdkeyart.jpg|Eric with the Decision Game players. Screenshot_224.png|Eric with Team Q. EricTrailer.png|Eric. EricAndMiraCell.jpg|"Maybe Diana's...?" EricLockedTalking.PNG|"The mastermind's right there!" (pointing at Sean) EricAndMiraCell.png|"I-it talks!" (surprised by Sean) FivePeopleGroupZTD.jpg|Eric along with the other participants look at the coin. Team_Q_unconsious.png|Eric unconscious. EricQTogether.jpg|"Then we'll just have to use force!" EricAndQFighting.PNG|"Ah! Stop! Stop! You'll break my neck!" EricAndMiraStudio.jpg|"A study? Though it's practically an entire library." TeamQTalking.jpg|"Something about who Zero is, or how to get out of this crazy place..." Ztdscan12.png|"Let's start looking!" QTeamListens.png|Eric listening to the announcer. "As you... now have... 5 X-Passes... it will be open to you." WeaponTriangle.png|Eric aiming a shotgun at Sean. EricD1.png|Eric suffering in pain while dying. EricD2.png|"I... forgive you..." Headshot.gif|Mira shoots Eric in the head. EricD3.png|Eric dead. EricD4.png|Mira looking at Eric's body. MiraGore1.png|Eric being gored by Mira. EricPodd1.png|Eric weeping when Mira's body is found. EricPodd2.png|Eric panicking. EricPTSD.png|Eric having a PTSD flashback after being triggered by Mira's method of murder. EricDamnBrat.png|"Damn brat! Stop bullshitting me!" qchoked.png|Eric choking Sean. YouKilledHer.png|"YOU KILLED MIRA! YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED HER!" EricCrazed.png|Eric looking at Sean. ShotgunConfront.png|Eric giving Sean 20 seconds to name Mira's killer. EricAim1.png|Eric aiming at Sean with a shotgun. EricAim2.png|Eric aiming at Sean with a shotgun. EricRed.png|Eric looking grim. EricShoty.png|Eric aiming a shotgun at Carlos. Ericwithagun.png|Eric threatening Sean and Sigma. Bodies.png|Eric dead after shooting himself. EricDead.png|Eric murdered by Mira. EricDEnd1.png|Eric dead in D-END: 1. EricKillsSigmaSean.png|Eric killing Sigma and Sean. EricSigmaSean.png|Eric, Sigma and Sean dead. EricGab.png|Eric questioning Delta on Gab's murderer. EricIcon1.png|[ ALIVE ] EricIcon2.png|[ DEAD ] Category:Characters Category:Zero Time Dilemma characters Category:Male characters Category:Decision Game players Category:Team Q member Category:American characters Category:Killer